Undergarment



March 2, 1937. v H W FAULKNER 2,072,550

UNDERGARMENT Filed DeC. 19, 195114 Patented Mar. 2, 1937 UNITED STATES m'rtlezu'rl Aortica `UNnERGARMENT corporation of Illinois Application December 19, 1.934Lseria1yN0. 758,161

10mm. loria-7s) 'My invention relates to an undergarment and has particular lreference to a garment ofthe drop-seat variety having an elastic member extending across the body of the garment prefer- 5. ably through a tube formed at the upper `marginal edge of the seat portion and is adapted primarily to provide novel means of` construction in garments ofthis `type to allow for the ready removal andreplacementof theelastic used for 10 supporting and retaining Vthe drop-seat in proper `position about the waist of the wearer.

Another and further object of my invention is the provision of garment `construction in which the elastic, after becoming worn or when after 15 use has lost considerable of its elasticity, can be readily removed and threaded through a tubular 4portion of the seat of the garment formed along the upper marginal edge and sewed to a supporting member at the side of the garment readily and quickly, thus providing a new elastic to hold the seat portion of the garment in proper relationship.

In the manufacture of garments of this type, which are particularly adapted for childrens 25 wear and in which buttons, hooks and other fastening means are dispensed with, it has been common practice to form the garment, which has a portion generally described as a drop-seat portion, with an elastic member across the upper 30 marginal edge of the seat portion which, when the wearer is in a stooped position, allows the drop-seat portion to move downward around the body of the wearer and to extend across the leg portion when the wearer is in a seated position.

35 Thereafter, upon the wearer assuming a standing position, the seat portion slides around the body of the wearer and is automatically pulled up in proper position and over the posterior portion of the body. When the garments are new 40 and the elastic member is comparatively new, the seat portion of the garment is held in taut, smooth position on the body of the wearer, but if the garments have been worn for a considerable period of time and usually less than the life 45 of the garment, the elastic member loses its elastic qualities, and it is desirable and often times necessary to insert new elastic in order to secure the proper functioning of the garment and also to hold the seat portion of the garment in proper 50 position on the body of the wearer and .prevent bagginess or looseness of this portion of the garment. The general practice has been to form a hem or tubular` portion of the garment, insert the member through the garment when it is manu- 55 factured and secure the ends of the elastic at the side seams of .the garment. When removing the elastic 'in a garment ofthis type it is necessary to'rip open the side seams, insert the elastic and then sewithe ends of the elastic into the garment and also to replace the stitches which are removed in order to obtain access to the elastic member. In my improved construction this operation is dispensed withand it is only `necessary to remove the stitches at one end of the elastic member at `one side and thread a new elastic member'through the tubular portion of the lseat of the garment and secure the ends to appro' priat'e` loops provided for this purpose. In this manner the elastic can be removed and replaced very quickly without the removal of stitches or altering the garment in any manner.

These and other objects of my present invention will be more readily apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the attached drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a rear elevational view of a garment embodying my improved construction;

Figure 2 is a detail elevational view showing my improved fastening means; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged section view on lines 3-3 of Figure 2.

Referring now specifically to the drawing and in which like reference characters refer to like parts thereof, a garment is illustrated having a back section I0, and a drop-seat portion II. If desired the garment can be knitted in a tubular shape with a cut extending transversely across the bottom of the garment with a tail portion I2 being formed, which extends downwardly inside of the drop-seat portion II of the garment, or the front, back and seat portions of the garment can be formed separately and stitched together, as is common in the manufacture of garments of this type. The upper marginal edge of the seat portion is folded onitself with the edge being stitched into the body of the garment to form a tubular section I3 which extends entirely across the garment at its rear, it being understood that the drop-seat II is secured to the body of the garment by rows of stitching, I 4, I 4 extending from the upper marginal edge thereof to the lower portion of the legs, with the upper portion of the drop-seat portion II overlapping the lower portion I2 of the back portion I0 by suicient distance so that, under no circumstances, does the garment separate or gap open in the back thereof. 0n each side of the garment the outer portion thereof has a vertical slit made therein forming an opening I5 through the tubular portion of the garment adjacent each of the outer edges thereof with an elastic member I6 being threaded through the tubular portion I3. Sewed-in loops I1, I'I of metal, celluloid, or the like, are provided at each side of the garment, these loops being secured to the body portion of the garment, preferably by means of non-elastic tapes I8, I8 which extend parallel with but outside of the tubular portion I3 of the garment spanning the distance between the opening I5 and the marginal edge of the garment to which the members I8, I8 are secured.

The elastic I6 as hereinabove set forth is looped around and sewed into the loops I1, I1 at each end of the garment and when it is desired to replace these loops, it is only necessary to cut the elastic IB loose from the loop I1 and by a, few stitches secure a new elastic to the end of this opening and pull it through the tubular portion I3 of the garment, unfasten it from the end of the old elastic and thereafter secure the elastic to the loops I T, I1 at each end thereof, cutting the elastic I6 to proper length to hold the seat portion of the garment properly about the body of the wearer, and in this manner the elastic .i member is easily replaced and removed as often as may be desired.

If desired, the elastic I 6 can be continued throughout the length of the tubular portion of the waistband and its ends secured in the side seams I4, with the openings I5 being provided for the removal and replacement of the elastic I6 when desired. The non-elastic tapes I8 may be placed inside the tubular portion of the gar- Y ment with their ends terminating adjacent the openings I5, and the elastic sewed or otherwise secured to the ends of the tapes I8.

While I have described more or less precisely the details of construction, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto, as I contemplate changes in form and the proportion of parts and the substitution of equivalents as circumstances may suggest or render expedient without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

I claim:

An undergarment comprising, in combination, front, back and drop seat sections, the lower portion of the back section extending below and inside of the upper edge of the drop seat section, the drop seat section having a tubular portion formed along its upper marginal edge extending thereacross, the ends of the tubular portion being secured in side seams securing the back section and drop seat section together, slits formed in the outer face of the tubular portion at points spaced from the side seams, inelastic straps secured in the side seams at the ends of the tubular portion and extending adjacent the outer face of the tubular portion, loops mounted on the free ends of the inelastic straps, and an elastic member extending through the tubular portion with its ends extending through the slits in said portion and secured to the loops which are mounted on the straps.

HAROLD WHITNEY FAULKNER. 

